After more than two years of debate, public forums and two surveys with low returns, the Kirksville Historic Preservation Commission declined to advance the proposed ordinance that would govern the appearance and construction of new businesses in the downtown area citing a lack of clear support or opposition.

The commission had to look no further than the sixth question on its recently completed downtown business owner survey, where half of the respondents were in favor of some sort of building design regulation and half were opposed to any such ordinance.

Beyond that split vote, the commission also lamented the fact that out of 134 surveys sent to downtown area property owners, the city received only 38 responses.

“It was a pretty disappointing response that we got,” said Codes and Planning Director Brad Selby.

The second series of surveys followed an even lower response to a survey effort conducted by the Kirksville Downtown Improvement Committee in 2012. In that survey, the city received about eight responses.

“To say we have a mandate and say, ‘Go forward,’ is a stretch to me,” Selby said.

The commission agreed with Selby and approved allowing the Planning and Zoning Commission review the responses and follow in its lead. Planning and Zoning meets Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. in City Hall.

The lackluster reaction and middling support for the proposed downtown design guidelines is the end-result of more than two years of effort on KHPC’s part. The group began discussing crafting an ordinance that would mandate some level of design continuity in the downtown area in October 2010 after being instructed by the City Council to examine the issue during the Downtown Revitalization and Economic Assistance for Missouri Community (DREAM) initiative.

But the effort came to a halt in April 2011 when Planning and Zoning refused to hold a public hearing on the ordinance, citing a belief the ordinance created an illegal historic district.

In response, KHPC then crafted the proposed ordinance as it was attached to the downtown business owners’ surveys. It calls for any new construction or expansion of existing buildings that increases the foot print area to be “sympathetic” and “complementary” to downtown historic styles.

In addition to the split verdict on whether people were in favor of the proposed ordinance, the survey results showed about 10 percent of respondents believed the city was not doing enough to support the downtown while about 40 percent believed the city was doing too much with the guidelines and 40 percent believed the city was conducting downtown business properly.

Page 2 of 2 - “It seems to me if you don’t have the majority, you don’t [move forward],” Selby said. “And it doesn’t appear you have the support.”

KHPC Chair Ken Shook said he was heartened by the fact half of the respondents were in favor of the proposed ordinance but noted that from the beginning of the process the commission has attempted to not force the changes.

“Let’s wait for Planning and Zoning and see what they think the next step should be,” Shook said. “But I do hope we can generate more support.”